1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to electronic computing systems and in particular to an interactive computing system including an improved pointing device with enhanced selection buttons and an interactive utility providing a persistent theme.
2. Description of the Related Art
Software themes for an operating system (OS) are ubiquitous in today's data processing systems. However, a conventional OS theme typically has no emotional attachment to a user of the data processing system, and does not present a single user experience that can be applied to various hardware peripherals. That is, computers are often impersonal because the computers are manufactured for a large market. Thus, other than a trademark of the manufacturer (e.g., Apple, HP, Lenovo) and some basic design features of the exterior casing, computer systems are deliberately made non-descript to appeal to a wide cross section of potential purchasers/users. Whether desktop computer systems of laptops or other personal computing devices, the overall design when combined with the various accessories merely indicate the manufacturer of the device and provide a specific color of the exterior casing of the device.
Accessories, such as pointing devices, mouse pads, etc., that can be purchased with or separately from the computer systems typically have some greater level of design and can provide a range of different functional aspects within the generally expected set of functionality. Thus, a pointing device or mouse, as they are commonly called, can be of a number of different basic shapes and configured with two or three main selector buttons, and perhaps a few other affordances or design features. Notably, none of these design features are associated with the actual computer system to which the accessory may be ultimately utilized as the accessory is design for general usage with any one or the numerous different designs of computer systems. While the owner and/or user of the computer system can select specific accessories to purchase and utilize with the computer system, ultimately a user has little avenue for providing a consistent look and feel to the various components making up the extended data processing system.
Additionally, in a pointing device, one or more buttons provide input to an operating system (OS) or application running on an operating system of the connected data processing system. Each individual button of a conventional computer mouse may be bound to a different functionality in an OS or application. The functionality associates a press/selection of each button with performing a different action. Computer mice typically are shaped in an elongated ovular shape and provide no visual or audible or tactile feedback to a user, responsive to user actions performed with the mice. Additionally button presses on a conventional computer mouse are controlled solely by the Operating System or Application and are thus limited to the configuration of and functions supported by the specific software.